Illinois Senate pushing again for $40k minimum teacher salaries

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WEEK) — The Illinois Senate education committee is pushing again to raise the minimum salary for teachers to $40,000 a year by the 2023-24 school year.

State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) sponsored a bill to raise the teacher minimum salary last year, but it was vetoed by former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The bill passed out of committee on Tuesday.

Currently, the teacher minimum wage in Illinois is $10,000, or $9,000 for those without a bachelor’s degree. That standard was set in 1980.

“This is where the rubber meets the road. Do we want to attract talented young teachers to Illinois, or do we want to watch them put down professional roots in other states?” Manar said. “A $10,000 minimum wage set in statute absolutely sends the wrong message about the value we place on the teaching profession in Illinois.”

If the bill is signed into law, teachers would see a new minimum salary of $32,076 for the 2020-21 school year. The salary would increase every year until hitting $40,000 in 2023.